[HTML1]From the “telling you what you already know” department, Portland is a great place for startups, it seems. No, I’m serious.
Don’t believe me? Well, how about Entrepreneur magazine? They’ve named Portland, Oregon, one of the best cities in which to be an entrepreneur, nicknaming the Portland “the cooperator.”
Portland has made do with the great resources it does have, creating vibrant electronics, clean-tech, health sciences and apparel sectors, and one of the largest and most innovative open source software communities in the world. Plus, the quality of life–Portland is a perennial favorite on most livable and most sustainable cities lists–means a high retention rate for workers.
And while they give Portland kudos, they also do a good job on calling the Rose City on one of the things it lacks: the world dominating mindset. (Although, I know many would argue that to be another positive aspect of the Portland community.)
There’s only one downside: Portland may be too genial. “For good or ill, the collaborative mind-set tends to diffuse that killer instinct,” says [OVP‘s Gerry] Langler. “We don’t have too many people obsessed with dominating the world market.”
Well, except for those Open Source Bridge folks.
For more information, you can read the August issue of Entrepreneur online or grab a copy wherever fine dead tree publications are sold.
(Hat tip Clay Neal)
(Image courtesy Matt McGee. Used under Creative Commons.)
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This is as true now as it ever was. Portland still doesn’t like sell outs. But that’s okay. You come to Portland to build a local brand. If you choose to sell, you better sell to someone who can promote nationally or else your customers will leave you in the rain. Stumptown is the last notable example of this. Stumptown’s still good, but a lot of people were pissed to hear that they sold.
That’s why this town is SO GOOD for startups. We move on to the next big thing VERY quickly. For instance, we’re known for our restaurants here. But if you start a restaurant, you better be able to make a profit within two years because after that, you are going to be on the other side of the growth rate curve. Your customers will already be searching out something better than you.
I know I’m still new to town, but I’m all for world domination in my career but also on a civic basis. For instance, Portland’s mayor, Sam Adams, believes this can be the most sustainable city on earth and that it would be good for business. Okay! That’s the bold, pioneering spirit that attracted me to Portland in the first place. I hate to say it, but it’s time to “just do it.” Whatever “it” might mean to you.
We play well with others. We don’t run with scissors.